Mother-in-law Mole Recipe Rebuttal

Far be-it for me to be a poor daughter-in-law and ignore the sage advice of a mother-in-law who also dubs as a professional chef and baker!

So it is my pleasure to have my fine Irish (trust me, that's relevant) Mother-in-Law, Fionnuala Sarsfield offer up this Mole Recipe... Let the cook-off begin!

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp.cinnamon
1 - 14.5 oz.can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used semi sweet)
1 tsp. oregano
Salt and pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 cup water (or you could just sub 1/2 cup chicken broth)


Put chicken breasts into slow cooker, turn on low. Mine were breast tenders and they were frozen.  

Saute onion in a bit of cooking spray for a couple of minutes.  Add almonds and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often as not to burn the almonds.  Add in chili powder, cumin and cinnamon, stir in for a minute.  Add diced tomatoes with the liquid, chocolate, oregano, salt, pepper, bouillon cube and water (or chicken broth).  Stir around and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.  

Carefully place into a blender or use an immersion blender to blend together to make a smoother sauce. I left mine a bit chunky.  Continue to cook until slightly thickened, you don't want to put it in the slow cooker too thin.  When sauce is done, pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 - 7 hours or until done. Shred chicken and mix in with the sauce.  Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.  We ate ours over baked potatoes and broccoli.

(Use cocoa powder and extra water instead of chocolate, about an ounce of powder, mixed with water to make a paste.)

A Mexican Inspiration for March

Okay folks, February is over (we made it!) and it's now March - the month of change! We move the clocks forward for daylight savings, cherry blossoms adorn the city with little pink buds, and Switching Gears club members are dawning race bibs for the first time (Diva 8k race and the UBC Duathlon). Then our training camp rounds out a long winter of indoor training and lands us smack into the Easter long Weekend.

What a mouthful. And SPEAKING of mouthfuls, let's get to this month's food item of the month:  Navita's Naturals Raw Cacao Powder - Ooooooohhhhhhhh the possibilities... 

Thanks Josh and crew from Urban Fare Olympic Village, who sent me this in an email boasting the benefits of this month's item:

"Raw Cacao powder is packed with magnesium, antioxidants and other essential minerals and nutrients. The uses for it are endless"

And with that I introduce this month's inspiring recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Mole

Now, I know I said March was a month of change and moving toward warming temperatures and such, but..... Don't put away the crock pot yet. This spicy dish is gonna warm you up after those cool outdoor runs & rides plus this dish is so rock-your-mouth-spicy it'll make you sweat so bad you'll need to eat it in your bikini my friend, oh yeah - that's Spicehhhh!!!

Enjoy this dish with rice, tortillas and slaw, as a dip for chips and just about anything else you can think of that'll make you want to don your bikini, sun hat and a cold Cerveza ;)

Hasta Pronto xo